Obituary of Joan Elgar
Joan Elgar (nee Trenwith) was born on December 7, 1929 and passed away peacefully at home with her two daughters by her side on October 1, 2024 at the age of 94 years.
Joan married the love of her life, Arthur Elgar, in 1948, and spent 73 years as his devoted wife and soulmate until he passed away in 2022. We find comfort in knowing that they are now reunited in Heaven (only 1 day before what would have been his 100th birthday), along with her beloved daughter Sylvia, and her dearest "Sis”.
Joan immigrated from Southampton, England to Canada on the Queen Mary in 1954 with Arthur. They settled in Toronto to start a family and a new life together. Joan was the loving mother of 4 children: Sylvia (predeceased), Barbara (Ted), Vincent (Louise), Joy (Dave), and mother-in-law to Mike (Sharon); proud Nanny of Michelle (Mike), Shannon (Kam), Devon (Bryan), Greg (Ashlyn), Brittany (Alex), Paige, Jessica, Brandon (Jen) and Ryan; and Great-Grandmother to 6 beautiful great-grandsons; Jackson, Nixon, Baker, Maclean, Maverick and James. A dearest Auntie and trusted Friend of so many. Joan led a wonderful life for which she was always grateful. She was a peaceful, loving person who never raised her voice or spoke ill of anyone. There are probably saints with less patience than she had. Her greatest joy was always the children. When asked the secret to a long and happy life, Joan would say, "Just gratitude. Be thankful for what you have and don't take anything for granted."
To know Joan was to love her. She was a friend to all and an inspiration to many. She always found joy in the little things, and could find the humour in almost any situation. She had an adventurous spirit; even into her 90s she would look for, and delight, in new adventures. When is the last time you saw someone in their 80s parasailing, indoor skydiving or doing the EdgeWalk at the CN Tower? Joan happily tried them all in her twilight years; with quiet confidence and a smile on her face. While small in stature, she was the mightiest of souls. Joan was also an incredibly compassionate person toward any living thing. Well into her 90s, she would still spare even the smallest of insects that got inside the house. She would gently pick them up and safely place them back outside, stating, "If it were me, I would want someone to show me compassion too." One cannot underestimate the impact a person like this has had on all those around them over the course of their lifetime.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 at Northcutt Elliott Funeral Home from 10:30 am until 12 p.m. Funeral Mass will be celebrated on October 9, 2024 at 1 p.m from St Joseph Catholic Church, 127 Liberty St S, Bowmanville, ON L1C 2P5
For those of you unable to attend, the Mass will be live streamed and viewable at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_ZjipwVnDA
The family wishes to thank Dr. Bains and her nurse Amanda, the PSWs for all of their support (especially Nickesha), the nurses from Spectrum (especially Vala), and Willy and Monina for their lay pastoral visits. All of you showed great compassion and care and we are eternally grateful for your kindness.
It was a blessing to us all to have Joan in our lives for as long as we did, and she will continue to be a blessing to us even without her presence here on Earth. Her lessons and spirit will live on forever in those who loved her. We will miss her deeply and think of her often.
In lieu of flowers, donations to Covenant House or any charity of your choice would be appreciated.
